Glen

Paul is rebuking his readers for their behavior. It appears that the Christians in Corenth were behaving like any other fallen person, they were self-centered. They were using the "Sunday resurection celebrations" as an opportunity to gorge on the community meal and even get drunk. In this passage, Paul is instructing the believers on the significance of the Lord's Supper and exhorting them to honor Christ. The proclamation is by the believers, through their actions, to the world. The spiritual meal by which our souls (not bodies, as is pointed out in this passage) are fed proclaims to all creation that Jesus Christ is Lord; he is Messiah; his sacrifice is sufficient.

In the face of poliferation of false religons (Islahm at 1.3 billion adherants now surpasses Roman Catholicism at 1.2 billion. Hinduism= 900 million; Buddhism= 376 million www.adherents.com) it is helpful to view the metatheme of the whole body of scripture which is, I believe, an apologetic for God over against all the false religons man has conceived throughout time. Against the pegan concept of humanity being the biproduct of some heavenly war between gods, He tells us in his Word that we are intentional. He made us for relationship with himself and made all of creation for our comfort and benefit (originally). He shows us though his Word's sacrifice the depth and degree of the relationship he offers us. As Christians the significance of this should be ever before us. We remember because he commands us to. His command is grace.

I'm in an ecumenical mode right now. Accordingly, the unity of the saints in communion holds particular meaning for me. "We are all one because we share one bread, one cup". Like the Apostles at the institution, the entire body of Christ is united in his meal, reclining intimately with Him.

Mere symbol denies the conveyance of grace. When I kiss my wife, the act itself is a symbol of my love for her. However, both of us engaged in the kiss receive much more than symbol. It is difficult to articulate the depth of affection; the heretage of the love that we have shared; the physical, emotional, and psycological excange that occurrs in a simple kiss. Likewise many sinses are engaged in the natural act of communion as well as communication at a supernatural level. The Holy Spirit imparts grace to us when we receive. The richness and reality of this experience is diminished in the mere-symbol interpretation.

I have been studying the patristic church lately and would like to share something I recently learned. The earliest Christians did not consider themselves followers of a new religion. All their lives they had been Jews and they still where. This was true of Peter and the 12, the 7 and of Paul. They engaged in temple worship and kept the Sabbath. They added to this the observance of the first day of the week, when they gathered in their homes to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus through the Lord's Supper. This early pattern Sunday Resurrection Celebrations eventually led to Sunday usurping Saturday Sabbath. The apostolic perspective was that the messianic error had begun and it was time to celebrate! In light of our question today, it is interesting to note that the shift in focus from victory to his death and sacrifice did not occur until centuries later.

I understand this sacrement to be both a commeration of Christ's death and resurection and a rehersal for the feast we will share together in heaven. Aside from the fact that he commanded us to do it (obediance is a good virtue for a diciple) I am enriched by both the reflection and anticipation. The substance of the species is one of those academic conversations that is a healthy spiritual wrestling match but is insignificant in light of the actual spiritual communion between the communicant and his creator / redemer!

Greetings, I was searching for a curiculum to assist in the preparation of a sunday school class and stumbled upon a link to this study. I am at once intrigued and excited to discover this interesting ministry. I have never participated in an internet study before and am eager to see how it feels. Pastor Ralph, if you monitor these posts: I hope to borrow this material (within your specified parameters, of course) for a class. Blessings, Glen